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SLIDE 1-2 Turn with me to the ninth chapter of Luke.
Tonight we are going to look at the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand.
I think it’s interesting that this is the only miracle recorded in each of the four gospels.
As we read this story written by Luke, see if you notice anything missing from how you remember it.
Luke 9:10-13 10 When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done.
Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, 11 but the crowds learned about it and followed him.
He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.
12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”
13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.”
They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.”
Did you notice any missing details?
The detail I noticed was the boy who provided the five loaves and two fish.
While all four gospel writers mention this story, only John mentions the boy.
We should remember that each of the writers had a different audience and thus a different purpose for their writing.
As such, they may include or exclude different details.
They couldn’t include everything.
While we are rarely given the exact timeline of events in the gospels, we are told what became this story — Jesus sending out the apostles.
In the first six verses of this chapter, we’re told how Jesus sent the twelve men out in pairs to cast out demons, heal the sick, and preach the kingdom of God.
When they returned Jesus quietly slipped off with the men so that they could be alone.
They needed some time to process everything they’d seen and done.
This was to be a time to tell Jesus about and if they had any questions to ask them.
Jesus took them to an isolated place near Bethsaida.
The name Bethsaida means “House of Fishing.”
Philip, Andrew, and Peter were all from Bethsaida.
SLIDE 3
John 1:43-44 43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee.
Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.
SLIDE 4 By the time Andrew and Peter had become disciples of Jesus, they had moved to Capernaum.
The town is mentioned seven times in the gospels.
I am sometimes tempted to think all that would be necessary to help someone believe in God is a miracle.
If they could only see someone healed they would believe.
But it’s not true.
Bethsaida
In addition to feeding the five thousand and the healings he performed that day, Jesus also healed a blind man in Bethsaida and Jesus sent the disciples to Bethsaida when he came walking to them on the water.
Despite the many miracles they saw, Bethsaida will be among the towns Jesus condemns in Luke 10.
It would appear that the miracles performed there were not enough to convince the people to place their faith in Jesus.
Jesus took the apostles away from the crowds to be alone with them, but the crowds didn’t give them any time alone.
They followed Jesus and his disciples.
Matthew tells us that Jesus had just received word about the death of John the Baptist.
I think he wanted some time alone as well.
But what did he do when he saw the crowd following him?
Luke says Jesus welcomed them.
He could have turned them back or simply ignored them, but Jesus received them.
We talk about people receiving Jesus or welcoming him into their hearts, but what is more important is that Jesus receives us.
When we come to him, Jesus welcomes us.
Amazingly, we see this throughout the gospels.
In Luke 15, we find the Pharisees and the teachers of the law complaining because of it.
SLIDE 5
Luke 15:2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
SLIDE 6 But we also see Jesus just as welcoming to the Pharisees and scribes.
When he was invited to their homes for dinner he readily accepted.
This is the promise we have.
God will always receive us.
SLIDE 7
Jeremiah 29:12-13 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
And James wrote: SLIDE 8
James 4:8a Come near to God and he will come near to you.
Isn’t that good to know?
No matter where we are and no matter how far we may have strayed, Jesus is ready to receive us if we will come to him.
So, when the crowds gathered to Jesus he healed their sick and taught them about God’s kingdom.
It was the same things he’d sent the apostles out to do.
He relieved their suffering and gave them words of hope.
Currently, they were suffering under Roman rule, but the kingdom of God was coming.
I can picture the disciples standing off to the side watching Jesus interact with the crowd.
As the day passed by they were becoming tired and growing hungry.
I like the way the KJV puts verse 12: SLIDE 10
Luke 9:12 a KJV And when the day began to wear away. . . .
SLIDE 11 Have you ever had a day that just seemed to wear on and wear you down?
Some days are just like that.
This was such a day for the disciples.
They’re just wondering when Jesus was going to call it a day.
Finally, Andrew approaches Jesus and broaches the subject.
Maybe they drew straws and he got the short one.
Andrews points out how it was getting late and that the crowd hadn’t eaten all day.
They hadn’t either.
He suggests that Jesus send the crowd away.
But, Jesus surprises him and suggests he feed the crowd.
You’re right.
They haven’t eaten all day.
Why don’t you feed them?
That wasn’t the answer they looking for forward.
Andrew returns to the twelve and tells them what Jesus said.
You can see them discussing among themselves how they were going to pull that off.
How could they fix enough food for the people?
After doing a little math, Andrew returns to Jesus and asks if he’d like the disciples to go buy some food.
It’ll be expensive though.
They estimate there are five thousand men plus women and children.
Scholars think there could have been as many as twenty thousand people there that day.
But that wasn’t what Jesus was suggesting.
Jesus wanted the disciples to feed the crowd.
Jesus then asked how much food they had with them.
So, Andrew returns to the other disciples and they start looking for food.
All they can find is one boy with five loaves of bread and two fish.
When Andrew told Jesus, Jesus had the disciples seat the crowd in groups of fifty.
Luke 9:14-17 14 (About five thousand men were there.)
But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”
15 The disciples did so, and everyone sat down.
16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them.
Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people.
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